Statement by the Spokesperson on the case of Georgian citizen Vazha Gaprindashvili

Today, the de facto authorities in the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia have extended the illegal detention of Mr Vazha Gaprindashvili for a further one year and nine months.

The European Union has repeatedly called for the immediate release of Mr Gaprindashvili since he was detained on 9 November. In light of today’s developments, we again reiterate our expectation that the authorities in control in Tskhinvali release Mr Gaprindashvili immediately and reunite him with his family. We also underline the importance of taking immediate steps to restore unrestricted freedom of movement for the local population.